More than just perks and benefits:
Your holistic guide to all the ways we
support and invest in our employees.
Life is vibrant.
At Microsoft, you’ll take risks, push boundaries, and
grow more than you thought possible. And you won’t be
alone in that journey. We have something special here;
we put our employees at the center of everything we do,
and we know that what we offer is essential not only to
your work but to your life too. The Essentials are what
empower you, so you can empower the world.
The Essentials—a set of programs, events, services, and
genuine human connections—comprise all the amazing
ways in which Microsoft supports and invests in you, with
a holistic offering that’s inclusive of all the many perks,
benefits, career opportunities, and so much more
available to you. They focus on four fundamental parts
of your Microsoft experience: Community, Flexibility,
Growth, and Wellbeing. Read on to learn more about
each of them.
Because empowering you matters.
2024 candidate brochure | Because empowering you matters. 2
Community
Empowering people is what we do. Fostering personal connections across
global teams, local engagement, and global sustainability is just the start of all
the good we’ve got going on.
Employee giving
Donate cash, stock, or products to your favorite nonprofit, and we’ll
match dollar for dollar, up to $15,000 per year. Volunteer your time in the
community, and we’ll donate $25 for every hour that you volunteer to
eligible organizations. Employee giving is big at Microsoft. As part of our
Giving Program, Microsoft employees volunteered more than 930,000 hours
and raised $242 million—inclusive of company match—to support 35,000
nonprofits in 116 countries.
Employee resource groups
Our employee resource groups (ERGs)—Asians, BAM (Blacks at Microsoft),
Disability, Families, Gleam (LGBTQI+), Hola, Indigenous, Military, and
Women—are company-funded, employee-led communities that can help
you connect with others at Microsoft and make the most of your experience
here. There are also many employee networks based on several different
topics, and there are social groups—like Musicians at Microsoft, Beekeeping,
and Milk Moms, to name a few—where you can exchange information on
common interests and hobbies.
For a good look at how Microsoft employees are getting • https://www.instagram.com/microsoftlife/
involved and helping their communities, check out • https://www.facebook.com/MicrosoftLife/
#MicrosoftLife at the links here: • https://twitter.com/microsoftlife
2024 candidate brochure | Because community matters. 3
Flexibility
Your life comes first, and we support you living it to the fullest. Online and off,
we give you the freedom you need to optimize that work-life blend.
Maternity and parental leave
We offer 12 weeks of fully paid parental leave for new parents who have a
birth, adoption, or foster placement. Parents can also split their parental leave
into 2 segments and return to work on a part-time basis the last 2 weeks of
their leave. People who have given birth also receive 8 weeks of fully paid
maternity disability leave, for a total of 20 weeks of leave at full pay, and they
may also take Short-Term Disability leave starting 2 weeks in advance of their
scheduled due date.
Paid time off
Microsoft offers flexibility so you can take the time you need for the things
that matter to you outside of the office. Discretionary Time Off (DTO) is
available to all salaried/exempt full- and part-time employees and has no
maximum on the amount of time you choose to take off each year. Hourly/
nonexempt employees accrue up to 120 hours of vacation each year and have
2 floating holidays. Plus, all employees also receive 80 hours of paid Holistic
Health Time Off annually plus 10 paid US holidays to call their own.
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Family caregiver leave
Microsoft offers 4 weeks of fully paid leave to care for an immediate family
member with a serious health condition. You can also take up to an additional
8 weeks of unpaid leave for a total of 12 weeks of leave per leave year.
Family support programs
Microsoft offers several programs to support your family in whatever stage
you’re in, including adoption assistance; subsidized or discounted child care;
nanny placement services; support for new mothers; virtual and in-person
tutoring; back-up care for children, adults, or elders when you’re in a pinch;
tools to find pet-care providers or even housekeepers; and more. Plus,
Family Concierge provides personalized guidance and helps you create
a customized plan for family care. And if you sign up for our legal benefit
through MetLife, you will get access to a personalized solution that connects
you and your loved ones with a highly trained care team to help with complex
caregiving challenges, such as caring for a family member with dementia or a
developmental disability.
Get help navigating your children’s college admissions and financing
processes through our College Coach program. You’ll have access to
workshops, resources, and one-on-one counseling sessions to help you and
your children navigate and plan for their college education.
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Growth
You’re already amazing. When you add inspiration at every turn, endless
educational opportunities, and the chance to tackle worldwide challenges,
there’s no limit to what you can achieve personally or professionally.
Financial education
We offer free online financial education resources. There’s information on
everything from investment basics and smart 401(k) strategies to the tax
implications of owning stock.
Tuition Assistance Program
Microsoft employees can receive financial assistance for business-related
tuition up to $5,250 for undergraduate-level coursework and up to $10,000
for graduate-level coursework per calendar year. In addition, employees have
access to qualified academic counselors to help think through career paths
and connect to a network of schools offering tuition discounts to extend their
tuition dollars.
Training and development
We offer hundreds of online and in-person technical, management, and
professional development classes; an ongoing visiting speaker series covering
a broad range of topics by acclaimed speakers; an on-campus TechFest to
showcase current research; and more.
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Wellbeing
Seize today, tomorrow, and the next 10 years. Wherever life takes you, we’ve
got you covered. You can count on us to support your body, mind, and
financial future.
Be Well
Our Be Well wellbeing program offers access to a variety of activities,
programs, and team challenges to nurture your body, care for your mind,
and invest in your future.
Perks+
Wellbeing can mean different things to different people. So, we’ve created
the Perks+ program to support you in your wellbeing journey regardless of
how you choose to maintain your health. Whether you prefer to take a
Zumba class, learn how to meditate, start a new hobby, need to purchase
home office items, or pay off your student loans, Microsoft will reimburse
you up to $1,500 per year for employee-only wellness-related expenses.
Perks+ reimbursements for your US-based personal student loan
repayments will be federally* tax-free.
*Depending on your personal tax circumstances, this reimbursement benefit may be subject to state taxation.
2024 candidate brochure | Because wellbeing matters. 7
Disability support
In addition to supporting your wellbeing activities outside of work, we
also want to ensure your wellbeing is supported while you’re working.
Understanding the diverse and complex needs of our workforce who require
disability support, Microsoft offers a wide range of resources on our Disability
Inclusion Hub, community access through our disability-associated ERGs, and
helpful channels for requesting workplace accommodations to meet your
workplace accessibility needs.
RethinkCare
RethinkCare offers resources, support, and six hours of tele-consultation
with a behavior expert for parents who have children with developmental
delays, learning disabilities, or behavior challenges.
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Our health care benefits, along with our generous wellbeing benefits, help you achieve—and maintain—your best health.
Medical plan comparison
Feature Health Savings Plan HMO Plan (California only)
High-deductible health plan with
Health Maintenance Organization (HMO)
a Health Savings Account (HSA)
Plan type
No premiums, no payroll deductions for employees and eligible family members.
Preventive care and preventive medications covered at 100%.
Choose any provider you like, but you pay less
when you use a provider in the Premera Blue
You and your primary care doctor coordinate
Cross network.
Key features your care with other providers within the Kaiser
Foundation Health Plan of Washington network.
Option to save for future health care expenses
through an HSA.
A deductible applies before the plan begins to pay
No deductible and limited coinsurance; copays
for services.
for most outpatient services.
Out-of-pocket costs The maximum out-of-pocket cost per year is
The maximum out-of-pocket cost per year is
$2,750–$6,875,* and the Microsoft contribution to
$1,500–$4,500.*
your HSA can be used toward these expenses.
Premera Blue Cross (nationwide)
Living Well Health Center & Pharmacy
(Redmond campus)
Kaiser Permanente (in available states)
Provider network Living Well Eye Care
Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Washington
(Redmond campus)
(Washington)
Crossover Near Site Health Clinic
(close to the Mountain View campus)
Microsoft HSA Microsoft contributes tax-free to an HSA:
None
contribution $1,000–$2,500.*†
*Based on coverage tier
†For corporate employees in levels 30–39 and levels 50–58, the Microsoft HSA funding is $1,750–$4,375.
2024 candidate brochure | Because wellbeing matters. 9
Dental
Microsoft offers a comprehensive dental plan that covers preventive services such as regular cleanings and
exams in full, as well as orthodontia coverage.
Preventive care (e.g., regular cleanings, exams)* 100%
Basic care (e.g., fillings, extractions, root canals)† 85%
Major care (e.g., crowns, dentures, implants)† 50%
Maximum benefit per year $2,500
50% (with a separate maximum lifetime benefit of
Orthodontia $2,500 per person after a one-time $50 deductible)
*Preventive care does not count toward the annual maximum.
†After deductible ($25 individual, $75 family).
Vision Maven
Microsoft offers vision care covering one annual eye exam Maven complements your traditional, in-person prenatal
and reimbursement for glasses or contacts of up to $350 care by offering 24/7 virtual access to doctors, specialists,
per calendar year. If you’re enrolled in the Health Savings and coaches—including OB-GYNs, infant sleep coaches,
Plan, we also help offset the cost of LASIK and other doulas, expert guidance for adoption and surrogacy, breast
refractive eye surgeries. milk shipping for business travel, and more. Maven also
provides menopause support and is available to both you
Physical wellbeing programs and your partner as part of the Microsoft health plan.
To help you be well, we provide many different wellbeing
programs, including weight management and tobacco
cessation programs; autism/ABA therapy; 24-Hour Nurse
Line; monthly focus areas, activities, and challenges;
and more.
Additional tax savings opportunity:
Flexible Spending Account
In addition to the HSA that comes with the Health Savings
Plan, Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) provide another great
way to save on taxes. These accounts allow you to set aside
pre-tax dollars to pay for eligible medical, dental, vision, and
dependent care expenses. You can set aside up to $3,050
each year in a Health Care or Dental & Vision FSA and up to
$5,000 each year in a Dependent Care FSA.
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Your mental health is everything. So we offer many ways for you to focus on your mental and emotional wellbeing,
at work and at home.
Spring Health Headspace
Spring Health supports the mental health of you and your We offer free access to the Headspace app that
family members with resources including therapy and includes guided meditation sessions to help you stress
counseling visits, a personalized mental health care plan, a less, focus more, and sleep soundly. Invite up to two
24/7 support and crisis line, mental and emotional wellbeing adult family members or friends to use Headspace on
coaching, support from a Care Navigator, and an on-demand your account for free.
library of self-guided exercises to improve mental and
emotional wellbeing. Mindfulness
There is also a thriving mindfulness community at
Mental and emotional wellbeing Microsoft, with employees from around the globe
To help support your mental and emotional wellbeing, we’ve leading weekly virtual mindfulness sessions.
curated a list of benefits and resources—because when
you’re in need of some guidance, it should be easy to find.
2024 candidate brochure | Because wellbeing matters. 11
We offer a variety of programs to help you build a savings and investment portfolio and protect your family
from the unexpected.
Microsoft Corporation Savings Plus 401(k) Plan Discounts
Microsoft matches 50% of regular pre-tax and Roth Enjoy substantial savings on Microsoft products through
contributions, up to $11,500 in 2024, and offers diversified, our company store. Microsoft’s PRIME discount program
low-cost investment options to choose from. Your Microsoft also provides exclusive and significant nationwide
match is fully vested on day one of your employment. Catch- savings on shopping, dining, travel, entertainment, and
up contributions, after-tax contributions, and Roth in-plan much more.
conversions are also available.
MetLife Group Legal Insurance
Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP) Our Group Legal offering with MetLife provides
The ESPP makes it easy for you to become a Microsoft coverage for legal services in many areas, including
shareholder by allowing you to purchase shares of Microsoft purchasing a home, preparing a will, and contesting a
stock at a 10% discount. You can contribute from 1 to 15% of traffic ticket. It also features a personalized solution that
your pay (up to a maximum of $25,000 per calendar year) connects you and your loved ones with a highly trained
through regular payroll deductions. Offering periods are care team to help with complex caregiving challenges,
available quarterly, and at the end of each offering period, identity theft and fraud protection services, enhanced
your total contributions will be used to purchase shares from tax preparation and filing assistance (including free
the plan. TurboTax), and more.
Financial advice MetLife Pet Insurance
We offer several resources to help you plan for your financial MetLife Pet Insurance covers accidents, illnesses, and
future, including Fidelity Investments advisory services. You even routine vet visits, making it easier than ever to get
can also access investment advice or management services your furry friends the help they need. And the MetLife
through Fidelity to assist you in selecting from among our Pet mobile app makes it even simpler to submit and
low-cost investment menu options. track claims and manage your pet’s wellbeing. Although
this isn’t a subsidized Microsoft benefit (meaning you’ll
Student Loan Refinancing Program still pay a premium), it is discounted for Microsoft
We have partnered with SoFi and First Tech Federal Credit employees—and it’s reimbursable through Perks+!
Union to help employees who meet specific eligibility That’s worth a tail wag or two.
requirements save money and simplify payments by
consolidating and refinancing federal and private
student loans.
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Preparing for life’s uncertainties
Coverage type Amount Microsoft provides Additional/optional coverage
Up to a total of 10 times your annual base pay,
up to a maximum of $4,000,000
Up to $750,000* for your spouse or domestic
Life insurance 3 times your annual base pay
partner
$5,000, $10,000, or $15,000 per dependent
child under age 26
Or, you have the option to elect a lower amount
of coverage at:
60% of your gross monthly income 50% of your gross monthly income
Long-Term Disability (up to a maximum of $15,000) (maximum of $12,500)
40% of your gross monthly income
(maximum of $10,000)
Accidental Death &
Between 1 and 10 times your annual base pay,
Dismemberment (AD&D) Not applicable
up to a maximum of $1,500,000
Insurance Plan
*Not to exceed 50% of your employee life insurance election
2024 candidate brochure | Because wellbeing matters. 13
Because empowering you matters.
Regional
